SPORTS PEOPLE

SPORTS PEOPLE; Gooden's Taunter Out

Published: December 4, 1987

A Tampa police officer who was disciplined in the Dwight Gooden case last year has been dismissed because of repeated violations, Tampa police officials have said.

Police administrators said Wednesday that the officer, David P. Bryant, was dismissed Nov. 13 because of five violations since February, six in 1985 and two earlier that included failure to be courteous and conduct unbecoming an officer.

Bryant ''acts before he thinks,'' said Col. George Fox, adding that the department believed the officer's disciplinary record could have placed the city in legal jeopardy had he remained on the force. Last February, Bryant received a letter of counseling for shining a flashlight in Gooden's face after the Mets' pitcher was taken into custody after a scuffle with police officers.